Meter closure fastener



April 12, 1938. .R, w. GRACE 2,113,687

METER CLOSURE FASTENER Filed March 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 Wrace April 12, 1938. R, w GRACE 2,113,687

METER CLOSURE FASTENER' Filed March 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mix Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,113,687 METER CLOSURE FASTENER Richard W. irace, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Superior Switchboard & Devices Company, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application Marchl, 1934, Serial No. 713,544

3 Claims.

without opening the closure, means being pro-- vided for automatically locking the lid or cover when the same is closed, a glass or other frangible element being located over the locking device in such position that it is necessary to break the same in order to obtain access to the locking device.

The above and other objects may be attained by providing a box having a hinged or removable lid or cover, a locking device being located in one of said members for locking engagement with the other member when the lid or cover is closed, a panel of glass or other frangible material being located in such position that when the same is bfikeh, access may be had to the locking device to release the same.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a meter box embodying the invention; I

Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse sectional view through the lower portion of the meter box showing the cover in locked position thereon;

Fig. 3, a similar view showing the frangible element destroyed and a screw driver or the like inserted to release the locking device;

Fig. 4, a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 showing the cover in partly open position;

Fig. 5, a fragmentary plan section of the lower end of the box and cover showing the locking device in the locked position, taken substantially on the line 55, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6, a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5, showing the frangible element which must be destroyed in order to obtain access to the locking device;

Fig. 7, a fragmentary sectional view through the hinge joint at the upper end of the box and cover; v

Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of locking device;

Fig. 9, a view of this modified form of locking device showing the frangible element destroyed and a screw driver inserted to release the locking device;

Fig. 10, a view similar to Figs. 8 and 9 showing the cover in partly open position;

Fig. 11, a fragmentary section showing the looking device in locked position, taken as on the line ll--H, Fig.8;

Fig. 12, a view similar to Fig. 11, showing the locking device in unlocked position, taken as on the line l2-l2, Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13, a detail perspective view of the locking spring shown in Figs. 8 to 12 inclusive.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a meter box especially adapted for use upon the outside of a. building and arranged to house an electric meter in such position that the dials-thereof may be read without opening the box. This meter box is preferably made of sheet metal and so constructed asto be waterproof and comprises the box proper indicated generally at l5 which may be provided with the upturned flange H5 at its upper end at the open side of the box, and the lid or cover l'l shaped to snugly fit over the open edge 'of the box and having at its upper end the depending flange l8 adapted to be lapped over the upturned flange l6 of the box to form an open hinged joint at the upper end of the box and cover.

The cover may be provided in its front face with an opening I9 covered by a panel 20 of glass or the like so positioned as to display the dials 2| of the meter 22 which is housed within the box so that these dials may be read without the necessity of removing the cover from the box.

. Ordinarily boxes of this kind are provided with registering or interengaging ears or the like upon the box and lid to receive any usual and well known form of seal such as a lock,.a wire with a slug of lead pressed upon the ends thereof or the like which may be placed thereon by an agent of the power company. Although such a seal may be placed upon the box forming the present invention, the construction is such that even though this seal is broken by an unauthorized person, access cannot in that way be had to the interior of the box.

The construction to which the invention is more particularly directed is a self-locking device contained within-the box and cover and so constructed that when the cover is moved to closed position, it is automatically locked to the box and cannot be unlocked without breaking a glass or other frangible element covering an apdevice may comprise a hook 23 which may be formed of spring material, the shank thereof being connected to the box preferably by a pivotal connection such as a rivet 24 or the like carried by a bracket 25 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the interior ofv the box and provided with a pair of lugs 26 arranged to hold the hook in position so that it will engage the locking bracket indicated generally at 21 carried by the cover. It for any reason it is desired to close the box without locking the same, the hook may be sprung over the lugs 29 and swung upon its pivot to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 5. The hook 23 may be offset angularly as at 29 and then bent back upon itself in U- shape as at 29 terminating in the outturned angular end 39.

The bracket 21 is welded or otherwise secured to the interior of the cover l1 and is provided with a tubular keeper portion 3i to receive the hook, the end of said tubular keeper portiontoward the hook being flared as at 32 to permit the hook to easily enter the same. The opposite end of the tubular keeper portion may also be flared as at 33 for a purpose to be later explained. A slot 34 is formed in the" tubular keeper portion to receive the angular end 29 of the hook asshown in Figs. 2 and,5.

If desired, an ear 35 may be flxed upon the lower end portion of the box portion l5 and an ear 39 may be hingedly or pivotally connected to the cover portion as at 31 and arranged to register with or be interlocked with the ear 39 when the cover is in closed position so that any usual and well known form of seal may, if desired, be applied to these ears as in usual practice.

When the cover is moved into closed position upon the box, the hook carried by the box will be received in the tubular keeper 3| of the cover and the angular end 29 of the hook will spring into the slot 34 in the keeper, locking the cover upon the box, as shown in Fig. 2'. The cover cannot then be removed from the box until the hook is released from the keeper and access thereto can be had only through the opening 39 formed in the cover for this purpose and arranged to be normally closed by a frangible element such as the sheet of glass 39 which may have any suitable inscription or insignia of the power company thereon so that the same will not be easily replaceable. This sheet of glass may be slidably located between the front wall of the cover and the guide plate 49 which may be welded or otherwise attached thereto, a screw 4i being provided for retaining the glass in position and preventing its removal without destroying the glass, a lock nut 42 being preferably provided upon said screw.

With the cover closed and looked as shown in Fig. 2, it is necessary to break the glass 39 and insert a screw driver or the like indicated at 43, through the opening 39 and through the flared end'33 of the tubular keeper 3|, to disengage.

plate indicated generally at 44 pivoted as at 49 within a sheet metal bracket 49 welded or otherwise secured to the bottom wall 'of the box proper I9 and provided with a tubular portion 41 for I a purpose to be later explained.

The hook plate is provided with the hooked end 49 adapted to be received through the'slot 54 is angularly disposed as shown in the drawings and is connected at one end to the inside of the tubular portion 41 of the bracket 49 as by the rivet 55. v

An aperture 59 may be formed in the lock plate to receive any usual and well known form of seal ifdesired, although it will be understood that in this case, as well as in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, such seal is not necessary to prevent opening or removal of the cover.

When it is desired to close the cover, the hook plate is swung upon its pivot to the position shown in Fig. 10, the hooked end 49 being swung inward and the lug 59 protruded through the slot .5l of the boxand into the path of the edge of the lower wall of the cover. moved to closed position it will contact with the lug 59, as shown in Fig. 10, and further closing movement of the cover will rotate the hook plate upon its pivot 45, swinging the lug 59 upward into the box and the hooked end 49 outward through the slot 49 of the cover to the position shown in Fig. 8.

At the same time, the lug 52 will flex the free end of the spring 54 and pass into-the slot 53 thereof, as shown in said figure, thus locking the hook plate 44 against clockwise movement, as viewed in Fig. 8, so that the cover cannot be opened or removed. r

In order'to openthe cover it-is necessary to destroy the frangible element 39 and insert a screw driver or the like as shown at 43 into the tubular portion 41 of the bracket 49 to' raise the spring 54 out of engagement with the lug 52 of the hook plate, as shown in Fig. 9, when an outward pull upon the cover will rotate the hook plate in a clockwise direction, permitting the cover to be opened.

From the above it will be seen that a locking device is provided which automatically locks the meter closure when the cover is closed upon the box, the cover being held in locked position until the frangible element is destroyed and a screw driver or the like inserted through the opening thus provided, to release the locking device. As

the frangible element is provided with any desired inscription or insignia of the power company, it will be seen that the same cannot be easily replaced so that any tampering with the meter closure by unauthorized persons will be quickly detected.

I claim:

1. A look for a closure for meters and the like including a box member having a back wall and side walls and a cover member having a front As the cover is the hook plate in locked position. The spring wall and side walls, there being an opening in said front wall and a readily breakable element nor- 7;

mally closing said opening, said lock including a spring locking hook carried by a side wall of the box and having a U-shaped end portion adapted to extend within the cover and terminating in an upwardly disposed hooked end, a tubular keeper carried by a side wall of the cover in alignment with said opening in the front wall and adapted to receive said U-shaped end of the hook and having a recess in its upper side to receive and interlock with said hooked end of the locking hook, whereby when said readily breakable element is broken,-a tool may be inserted through said opening and into the adjacent end oi the tubular keeper for disengaging said hook from the keeper.

2. A look for a closure for meters and the like including a box member having a back wall and side walls and a cover member having a front wall and side walls, there being an opening in said front wall and a readily breakable element normally closing said opening, said lock including a spring locking hook carried by a side wall of the box and having a U-shaped end portion adapted to extend within the cover and terminating in an upwardly disposed hooked end, a tubular keeper carried by a side wall of the cover in alignment with said opening in the front wall and adapted to receive said U-shaped end of the hook and having a recess in its upper side to receive and interlock with said hooked end of the lockin hook, said locking hook being offset upwardly at a point adjacent to the U-shaped portion, where by when said readily breakable element is broken, a tool may be inserted through-said opening and into the adjacent end of the tubular keeper for disengaging said hook from the keeper.

3. A look for a closure for meters and the like including a box member having a back wall and side walls and a cover member having a front wall and side walls, there being an opening in said front wall and a readily breakable element'normally closing said opening, said lock including a spring locking hook pivotally mounted upon a side wall of the box and having a U-shaped end portion adapted to extend within the cover and terminating in an upwardly disposed hooked end, a tubular keeper carried by a side wall of the cover in alignment with said opening in the front wall and adapted to receive said U-shaped end of the hook and having a recess in its upper side to receive and interlock with said hooked end of the locking hook, whereby when said readily breakable element is broken, a tool may be inserted through said opening and into the adjacent end of the tubular keeper for disengaging said hook from the keeper.

RICHARD W. GRACE. 

